Author Interview with J.E. Klimov

I’m excited to welcome J.E. Klimov to Magic Writer to help celebrate the release of her new fantasy novel, The Aeonians, which you can purchase now on Amazon!

The Aeonians

Isabel Deran only wants to practice archery with the castle guards, and that is the last thing expected from an elegant Princess. Living in the shadow of her late sister, Victoria, she is next in line to receive the royal armlet that is embedded with four stones: an opal, a sapphire, an amber, and a ruby. It is a revered family heirloom with the power of the elements passed down from mother to daughter.

However, an evil, once thought to be sealed away in a prison in which time does not pass, breaks free with an army that swarms the castle and wrecks havoc over the kingdom in search for the magical armlet. They are known as the Aeonians. When they kidnap Isabel and place their hands on it, the precious stones vanish.

Isabel is now trapped in a race against time to locate her stones of power with the head of the Aeonian army, Bence Brechenhad, stalking her like a shadow. With the help of her trusty weapon, the sai, she fights her way through seemingly impossible trials and fearsome monsters in order to restore peace in her kingdom.

Elise: Welcome to Magic Writer! What inspired you to write the Aeonians?

J: I came up with the majority of my novel ideas during junior high. “The Aeonians” in particular was originally a fan-fic of “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time”- a Nintendo 64 video game. Before my parents allowed me to play video games, I would watch my cousin play this. The bright, vibrant world that encouraged exploration entranced me, and I grew attached to the playable character, Link. After some time, I decided to make the story my own. I wanted a relatable female character that would grow throughout the plot. I also enjoyed creating my own world and my own creatures. Then, “The Aeonians” was born.

Elise: So, who’s your favourite character and what makes them special?

J; By the end of my journey writing this novel, Bence Brechenhad, the main antagonist, became my favorite character. This came at a complete surprise to even myself. I wrote Princess Isabel, the protagonist, based off my own persona; however, as the story blossomed, I enjoyed writing Bence’s point-of-view more. He is grouchy, brooding, and sarcastic. He is flawed. Everything about him is so wrong, I was cheering for him to be right.

Elise: Bad guys are often fun to write! What was the toughest part of writing your novel?

J: The toughest part was editing. While this sounds like a cliché answer, hear me out. The idea was created in 7th grade. I hand-wrote it until 8th grade, then I gave up until NaNoWriMo years later in 2014. I seriously worked on it in 2015. Editing was exponentially difficult for “The Aeonians” because of how much time elapsed and the constantly changing concepts. It is also my debut novel, so I made a LOT of mistakes. A lot of mistakes = multiple tireless editing sessions…

Elise: I know what that’s like! The first novel is a huge learning curve. What is the one thing you hope readers will take away from your books?

J; I hope “The Aeonians” will instill a sense of self-acceptance in any reader with confidence issues. The obvious example is that it’s okay to be a female tomboy with a distaste for dresses. The other maybe not-so-obvious example would be that no matter your background, you are in charge of your own destiny.

Elise: Great messages there. Will there be a sequel to The Aeonians?

J: Absolutely. I am in the editing process of the sequel to “The Aeonians”, “The Shadow Warrior” right now. Fun Fact: “The Aeonians” was originally a stand-alone novel, but I fell in love one character so much that a sequel came naturally to me.

Elise: I see you have an interest in art – what kind of art do you do? Do you plan on illustrating your novels or your characters at all?

J: I usually sketch and ink portraits. I also used to create my own manga (Japanese-style graphic novels). In fact, most of my ideas were meant to be in manga form; however, I understand they aren’t very popular in the United States. After a trip to Japan in 2016, I fell in love with the art style once more and plan on returning to the trade someday in the near future.

Elise: It’s a style that certainly seems to be gaining in popularity here in the West. And a fun question, to finish: if you could be any magical creature for the day, what would you choose?

J: Dragon. A dragon always.

Elise: An excellent choice!

J.E. Klimov grew up in a small suburb in Massachusetts. After graduating from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, she obtained her PharmD and became a pharmacist; however, her true passion was writing and illustration.

Ever since Klimov was little, she dreamed of sharing her stories with the world. From scribbling plotlines instead of taking notes in school, to bringing her characters to life through sketches, Klimov’s ideas ranged from fantasy to thriller fiction. The Aeonians is her debut novel with Silver Leaf Books.